With the end of October I finish up my tenth #12minisin12months. Wow! They do add up. No big projects finished up since the beginning of the year, but all these small projects are worth smiling about. 

For a while now (read several years) I have been putting off trying my hand at the flying geese block. Not sure why. For some reason they appear more challenging than I'm ever in the mood to take on.  

Then just the other day while scrolling through Pinterest waiting for inspiration to strike, quite unexpectedly I found myself planning my October mini quilt around the flying geese block. I casually learned from daughter K that son J says that, "all birds fly south to Miami Beach in the fall". Really?!?! Where did he get this notion? The ideas and rumors that boy spreads (insert eye roll : ) For some reason this struck me as hilarious and I immediately responded with, "That's it! I'm going to make a mini quilt of geese flying south and I'm going call it 'Miami Beach'!" 

So here it is, Miami Beach - where birds go for the winter : ) I used scraps of fall fabric because it IS October and that's what we sew with around here this time of year. Made this up as I went, including scraps for the background pieced in a bit of improvised fashion. Squeezed just enough binding out of the scraps as well - only about half an inch to spare. Whew!

The flying geese blocks were easier than I thought they would be. Maybe beginner's luck? or maybe it was the Bloc_loc ruler I used to trim them up. (The Flying Geese ruler works as great for trimming flying geese blocks as their ruler for trimming HSTs.) Any who, they were a bit of fun and quick and we just might see more of them around here in the future.

Straight-line walking foot quilting zigzagging with the geese for quilting. It's a bit different quilt finish for me but I like  it! Kids like it. Son J wants to hang this on his bedroom wall. I'd say that is a win : )

Good day, folks : )

Quilt stats:

Fabric: Moda Weave, Rustic Weave, and Bella solids

Batting: Flannel

Piecing and quilting thread:  Aurifil #2309

Size: 15" x 15"

Over the weekend I gave into temptation and took a break from pattern testing to play with the corner pieces trimmed from my in-progress quilt pattern blocks.

After previewing several layouts, this was it. Layout options when working with HSTs (half-square triangles) truly are countless. All you have to do is a turn a couple, and voila! - a new layout!

Tried something a little different with quilting. Still used the walking foot but mixed up directions and tried to find shapes within shapes. Not sure how I feel about it yet, but at least I tried something new ; ) 

This little mini quilt will go up on my mini quilt wall or be used wherever needed as a little table topper or candle mat. It does feel good to use up some little scrap bits.

It also feels good to have finished September's mini quilt for #12minisin12months. Woohoo!!! Now I can focus on a custom quilt in the queue and finishing up my first quilt pattern.

Happy quilting, everyone! 

This pretty little Somerset quilt didn't get done in August but in early September - close enough ; ) Such a super fun, super quick finish (thank goodness because that is all it seems I have time for currently.)

These little mini charm packs are turning out to be the perfect thing to create with lately.  Grab a little bit of background and mini charm pack, and in no time you have a quick little quilt finished.



Mini and quick doesn't have to mean boring and/or no impact - I love the impact the center of this little mini quilt offers.